Silent Sunset (Xena)

[x A m r i t a . . .]

Winter, 2008. It is the new year. New years in Japan are very plain and white. Everything's white. That's because everything's covered by snow. The days are shorter whilst the night grow longer. The sun sets earlier.

Six fourty-eight post meridian. In other terms: 6:48PM. In the evening of course. There a raven-colored, colarbone length haired boy sat, one leg atop the other. And above it was an acoustic guitar which looked used. It was an old standard fender. Accoustic for begginers. But he was way above intermediate. Having to change those strings around once every 3 months. Or sometimes at a shorter period than that. Often, he snaps it.

His fingers are probably hard stiff by now. They don' feel the same sensation as the other cells do. That's because he's adopted it. The fact that he couldn't feel the pain to press the strings just means he's lost the sensation on his finger tips.

There he sat, strumming his accoustic guitar loudly. Not like anyone was there at the temple anyway. Only the birds chirping, only hoping their mothers would come home before dark. The silhouette of him and the orange background. It looked somewhat old, but modern due to the guitar.

Moving swiftly from G to A. Those are the only keys he needed. It was a simple song, which he considers excersize. It only strums A once and G twice. And that keeps being repeated throughout the four minuets and thirty or so seconds.

[Xena]

Once upon a time.

Every fairytale begins with those four words. Would this new year begin with the same phrase, too? Wandering around wasn't as easy as it seems - especially if you're 'wandering' in places you've already been to. But I have no memory of visiting this temple at all. I ran my way up the steps to see it clearly, to cherish the individual colors and detail in memory, but I haven't made a noise with my white Converse shoes. I crouched down, examining the floor for a moment, not minding that my thoughts were flitting away to something else. To the familiar sound of a guitar. I couldn't make myself look as something dawned on me as I felt my right wrist.

I looked down half-heartedly, seeing the friendship bracelet Takara Yuu gave me gone. I must've left it in the room when I rushed out to miss vice-president paperwork. I felt a sharp pang in my heart before I felt it sink. I sighed softly, shutting my eyes close before moving my head up, and then opening them. First I saw the silhoutte. Then the raven hair, before finally the figure of the guitar sitting like an extension of the person's arms. I stood up and ambled slowly toward the figure, my ears still listening to the music he was playing.

I reached his side almost instantly, but with a few stumbles before doing so. Snow is slippery. I stopped right behind him, still paying attention to the chords played. It seemed like the same thing over and over again. I wanted to interrupt, but that would've been rude. So quietly I stood, waiting patiently for him to finish. That would've been better than doing the next that I did.

I sat beside him, landing with a fuss. I acted like I didn't care, and my eyes executed a shift away from the guitarist's face to his fingers. Same chords repeated, just like what I thought. Then I looked back to his face. I can't name him then. I breathed out, "Can you play any MCR songs?" That was how I said it. M-C-R. Where did that come from? "I mean, hello..." I corrected myself, looking away from his eyes that I had stared at earlier.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

It has indeed been a while since he had played this guitar of his. Lately, he's been busy with the whole part-of-student-council thing. Even though he didn't even attend the first and for now, only meeting. That time, he couldn't be bothered. And you've got to admit. Kids, in their youthful ages, they're difficult. Just like how most people are in this academy right now.

Displaying an anxious look on his face, he kept strumming the same keys over and over again. Not using a pick, not even attaching a strap to the guitar. Not cutting the excess strings on the end. It just sticks out like spider's legs. THe body was scratched. It was a no wonder too. It is, an old guitar.

"Can you play any MCR songs?.... I mean, hello..."

So once again, the thought of being alone disappeared into thin air. Dispersed. He stopped the strum and manouvered his head to look at the owner of the voice. It was a girl with crimson hair. Boy, his hair was crimson when he dyed it a few years back.

"The black parade?" He asked.

Already placing his left hand on the neck of the accoustic. He didn't like MCR much. He only listened to it because he was forced to listen to it. It bothered to have to listen to it though. To him, the musicians lacked skills. They don't need two guitarists, the vocalist can't even sing properly, the drum was pretty good though.

Still, he prefered bands like Mr. Big, when it comes to english bands. A lot when it comes to the eastern bands. Especially, Japan and Korea.

[Xena]

Quite sudden, what I just uttered instantly earlier. Quite sudden since I barely listen to the band anymore. I'm too engrossed in work and play to pay attention to music. It must be why I suddenly burst out when I saw that this boy could play. I caught myself from doing something else not meant and averted my gaze from the floor to the young man. "The black parade?" he offered, and I noticed that he had moved away his fingers from the frets of his acoustic guitar to the item's neck. I shrugged, thinking of some other song.

"Scratch that, please." I grinned, although I was still uncertain of what song to request. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is my second choice. I wonder if he could play Your Guardian Angel? Might as well ask, no matter how awkward that may be. "How about Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' song, Your Guardian Angel?" I asked curiously, looking at his face. He looks just like the Discipline Watcher, Kurosagi Tatsuya...

Oh wait. It is him. I smiled shyly, mentally slapping myself for forgetting this boy. We had a meal together before. I still remember him asking if I could finish his meal for him. Good times. Although there isn't more to say since I just needed to wait for his reply to my question earlier, I still uttered, "Y'know, for a moment there I forgot who you were!" I giggled before apologizing, "Sorry." I don't think there is anything to be sorry about in his point-of-view, but I just wanted to let him know that I was.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

He nodded upon the girl's request. He knew who she was, he just couldn't recall the name, that's all. Having already meeting, more like, encountering with her twice or three times already. And in one of the times, he'd even asked her to kindly eat his lunch. Which was weird, if you thought about it, the girl was supposed to do that. Not the boy. That was besides the point though, he was just really anxious, really, lost. So much that he doesn't have the appetite to eat. And mnd you, he's usually those kind of boys who are a big eater. Well, he should eat a lot, considering the amount of energy he uses just to move around. He is quite the one who cannot stay calm. Or sit nicely in the chair without moving. Or sleep without any hassles. Yes, whenever he sat at a computer chair, with wheels, and the ones that can spin, he would spin around in the chair, and move back and forth. He even moves when he sleeps. Unconciously too. Sitting in a still chair doesn't change too, he, himself would move around adjusting himself even though it was already adjusted. Anyway, enough about him and move on with the storyline.

"Can you sing?"

The raven-haired asked. He, himself, obviously could sing. He's sang a few hundred times in outings, showers, concerts, even up stage. He didn't feel like singing english songs though. His pronounciation due to language are always the thing that hinders the desire to sing english songs. He moved his hand to the right position, from the neck to the right chord (Lol, sorry, I don't know the chords for this song). He played the introduction and stopped, just to get the vocalist' atention.

"Y'know, for a moment there I forgot who you were!.... Sorry."

Kuro formed a smile on his lips, as he turned to the girl, showing her that he was smiling o her statement.

"Interesting. I forgot your name too... Sorry."

[Xena]

I happily nodded in agreement to his inquiry, "Can you sing?" I looked at his hand, his forefinger already pressing on the third fret of strings one, two, and three. Then he started to play, while I timed the beat with my breathing. Just when he finished the intro, he stopped short and turned back to me, smiling to my earlier statement, "Interesting. I forgot your name too... Sorry." I laughed sheepishly before saying, "Great minds think alike!" I looked up to see the sky, since there isn't anything else to look at rather than him or the snow around us. Or the guitar he's holding so gently in his arms. I looked down at my empty hands. I guess I'm holding up air gently in my arms. That was pretty much it. I eyed his guitar again before returning my gaze back to the heavens above.

I wonder what would happen if I just nabbed the string instrument away from him. The results would have been disastrous. I don't even know what his alice is. He might strike me down with a wet ball of freezing snow. I looked back at him, thinking of something to say other than starting to sing. Although, just to make things even faster since I'm not the one who's going to sit around and wait for someone else to do the singing for me, and since it isn't him who wanted to sing anyway - why else would he ask me that question? - I hummed the intro of the song, before beginning to sing the first verse. "When I see your smile, tears run down my face," I sang softly and in tune. The original singer of the song is a male, and singing it with a higher pitch would totally be defying the tone, so I had to keep my voice as of a male.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

He only smiled when the girl stated that their minds were great, hence the think like each other. He didn't really have anything smart and nice to say to the girl. Though the only thing he could do is play the guitar what rested lap and smile. Perhaps say one or two cliche nice words, but not something nice and catchy. And if he thinks back, he had never even said anything nice that's smart and catchy.

It made him somewhat powerless.

As soon as the girl started singing once more, he only followed the tunes with a rythmic contiuation of C, G, A to F to A, D and E. Adding in a few jazzy plucks of guitar strings. It was a mix of pop-rock and jazz, and although it may sound confusing when you put it in words, thinking of how horrible that kind of music that would be, it's actually pretty nice when it comes to hearing the said type.

He stopped after a while though, throwing his right arm to the air, cocking his head from left to right. Then throwing both arms in the air, stretching. A small yawn came to him, as he exhaled the air through his mouth.

"Sorry to pause like that." He simply appologized.

He eyed the scenery for a moment as the sun was really going down. It looked marvellous from the place he and the girl was in. The big orange spherical figure dipping down into the earth to rest, whilst at the same time dyed everything a tinge of its hues.

The white snow turned orange-ish yellow, and the trees' formed sillhouette. Shadows started to drag longer as he folded his arms, resting it on the body of the guitar which was sitting on his lap. He then rested his chin on his folded arms as he looked out and watched the sun which sets down for the day.

[Xena]

I glanced at him in a subtle manner and, after hearing his guitar, averted my gaze forward to the setting sun.

Now, where was I?

Oh yes, first verse.

I drew in a shallow breath and inserted my voice along with the guitar. "- I can't replace. And now that I'm stronger I've figured out-" My sight shot to the guitar, which by now is being plucked in beat. Smiling ever so slightly to acknowledge this style, I didn't break the verse. "-how this world turns cold and breaks through my soul. And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one.."

I exhaled excess air and inhaled a shallow breath once more to continue the pre-chorus part of the song. "I will never let you fall; I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all; even if saving you sends me to heav-"

My, I'm cutting through the verses frequently. I looked at my male companion who, after stopping the playing of his guitar, shot his right arm in the air, tilting his head in two directions. He shot both of his arms up again, and I gave him a quizzical expression, raising one of my eyebrows and tilting my head slightly to the left.

Then he yawned.

Yawning is like a virus. Once you see other people yawn, you'll start to yawn too. That is, according to a short article I've read a few years back.

I felt a tugging sensation behind my lips. I followed him a second later with a supressed yawn, and my right hand instinctly shot up to cover my mouth. After the release of breath, it rested on my lap.

"Sorry to pause like that," the young man apologized. Feeling suddenly drained, I only smiled in response.

I noticed his eyes facing forward, and with a reluctant turn of the head, I followed his gaze. The sun was setting, its lower half disappearing over the horizon. It gave out a blast of its color, as if its last call to the earth above as it begins to vanish under the horizon.

I noticed movement beside me, and my eyes barely glanced to the side to see my companion folding his arms and resting it on the guitar on his lap, then placing his chin on his arms as he continued to look at the setting sun.

Quietly I turned my gaze back to the flaming sphere, and for the first time encountered a silent sunset.

ooc: Kinda crappy x______X Gomen.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

"You know..." he started, "you came at the right time."

It wasn't like everyday that the sun would set so fast and at the right time. Not with everything messing with the world anyway.

"Your singing" He said once more, "it's good."

Now it wasn't like everyday he'd be starting up topics so much. Maybe he felt like it today. Well, a boy who acts like he's PMS-ing would be hard to ever predict what his next actions would be. And yes, he was difficult, and must say: quite the rebel too. Perhaps that's what made his name climb up the popularity ladder by so much.

It's just just this one time though. He could still remember that he was quite the hot-shot in his last academy too. The one he had lived in almost all his life, before he came to this academy.

The colors radiating from the sun was brilliant. All shades of red and yellow were mixed into one. A spectrum kind, not pigment. The white was temporarily dyed orange and so are the trees. Sillhouette grew bigger, and Kuro finally stood up, leaving his guitar on the ground while he switched on the lights from inside the multiple-use dojo in which he was gazing the sunset from.

OOC:Forgive my crap post too =O

[Xena]

I closed my eyes to savor the moment in my memory.

The sunset, I mean.

One eye opened when I heard his voice begin, "You know, you came at the right time." My other eye opened its window as I slightly turned my head to his direction. For the sunset? I asked myself, unsure and quite clueless. Must be the sunset... or not? I looked down on my lap, wondering how to react.

But he saved me when he spoke again.

"Your singing. It's good." I beamed at him. "Thanks! You play the guitar really well, too!" I half turned my attention back to the colors of the sun, recalling several role-playing games I played that had a dramatic concept - almost all of them having the same, vivd hues.

Then my companion stood up, leaving his guitar behind.

I looked at him, averting my complete attention from the sunset, to see what he's doing. He turned on the lights of the dojo. Happy that he wasn't leaving, I looked back, but stopped short when I noticed that he left his guitar on the ground.

For a moment I locked my eyes on the strings, before they sparked with a sudden burst of idea.

It seemed like a bad idea, but what the heck.

I carefully held the guitar in my hands, before cradling it on my lap, and starting to play a video-game theme that sounded really hallow, entitled To Zanarkand.

Just to fit the view.

I haven't even asked for permission to use his guitar yet, so I looked back at him and mouthed, Just for a sec please.

Since I only know half of the theme, I would finish fast, then I decided that would be the time to say farewell.

ooc: Are we ending the thread soon? The sunset's fading lol.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

OOC: It will. Just let Kuro chuck a snowball at Xena.

He knew that leaving his posession unatteded would make the other party would want to touch it, and mess around with it. He knew that far, however, he had a collection of guitars. Between matters or doesn't matter-- he doesn't even know which one to think. And from what he could hear, which is faint strums of his guitar, he knew she was playing it.

Though this time, since it was an old one, and yes, he still loves it, he let the girl play. In exchange, he would do something for her. It's in between nice and evil, but he was meant to do something along those lines.

He climbed out of the dojo through the paper doors, which were left opened as the whole dojo's interiors could be seen from the outside. He took a handful of the snow on the ground as the last of the orange kissed scene was about to disappear for twenty four hours.

Climbing back inside the dojo, he walked back to the place where he had sat, played and viewed. He stopped at the door though, then throwing the handful of snow-- a snowball right to the girl's back. It was just to get her attention, and as compensation for playing his guitar without his consent, although he doesn't mind.

"Take it." He said with shrug.

[Xena]

After hearing a shuffle behind me, I chose to ignore it and focused on the string instrument even more. My eyes looked up to see why the orange light was fading away, and that was, of course, because the sun was going down, finally bidding goodbye.

I guess that's my cue.

I was about to stop playing the guitar when something hit me from behind. I turned to see what it was, but all I saw was pure, white snow. I looked up at Kurosagi. Snow + person = snowball..

.. Oh.

I stared at him, puzzled. "Take it." Kurosagi's voice was accompanied by a shrug. For a moment I felt lost. Take what? I glanced down at the guitar and raised it a bit higher than how I held it. Mentioning it using action to clarify things. But I already know the answer.

A second passed before I grinned, revealing pearly white teeth. "Thanks!" I looked down and held the guitar with my two hands now, one holding the body, the other the neck. I closed my lips and said once more, "Thanks", only not as enthusiastic as the first time.

I glanced back up at him and tilted my head forward slightly, my back following the action. I raised it back up and I bid hesitantly, "Well, goodbye! See you around sometime!"

After that, I ran off to my room. But midway there, I halted and looked back, the darkness already looming behind me. Then I continued on, walking casually.

[x A m r i t a . . .]

As soon as the girl raised the guitar-- his guitar, he didn't even bother to answer what she was asking. He knew perfectly well those sorts of reactions would come out. Never had he even bothered to answer it anyway. Considering that the other party didn't even ask the question verbally.

It was cold.

And it's meant to be cold anyway. He was only wearing a plain white shirt with jeans. His jacket was somewhere inside the dojo, but since the floors were heated, it didn't really bother him much. Once the sun had set, it left a cold chill to the area.

The girl thanked him. He didn't bother to answer that either.

"Well, goodbye! See you around sometime!"

He only smiled and gave a simple wave. Not saying anything. Not like there was anything to say anyway.

'Take good care of it...'

He thought as he started to close every door in the dojo. The girl ran off to wherever she was heading, while he was left in the dojo, closing every doors of it. He finally found his jacket and slipped it on, feeling the warmth given by the furs that were detachable from the cotton knee-length jacket.

Finally, he stepped out of the dojo, turning back to close the enterance door. It was already dark, but the darkness was lit up by the street lamps that followed the winding brick road to the dorms.

Thus he proceeded walking back.

OOC: Thread finished n_n